The Trump administration could soon roll out sweeping changes to the U.S. State Department, according to a draft executive order obtained by CNBC that lays out what it calls a “disciplined reorganization” of the nation’s diplomatic service.
The 16-page draft order, which is not dated but appears to be prepared for President Donald Trump’s signature, would dramatically upend the department if it is enacted — shuttering American embassies across Southern Africa and eliminating bureaus that work on issues like democracy and human rights, as well as international organizations like the United Nations.
The order also details an overhaul to the process for selecting and training U.S. diplomats.
According to the order, the changes are intended to “streamline mission delivery, project American strength abroad, cut waste, fraud, abuse and align the Department with an American First Strategic Doctrine reflecting the priorities of the Executive Branch.”
The draft executive order proposes the elimination of all “non-essential embassies and consulates in Sub-Saharan Africa” and the consolidation of regional bureaus around the world.
Current regional bureaus, per the order, would be consolidated under four “regional corps”:
- Eurasia, including Europe, Russia and Central Asia;
- Mid-East, including Arab nations, Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan;
- Latin America, including Central America, South America and the Caribbean; and
- Indo-Pacific, including East and Southeast Asia, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives.
America’s diplomatic presence in Canada would be drastically cut under the order. Going forward, State Department operations in Canada would “fall under a significantly reduced team delegated as the North American Affairs Office” within Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s office.
The White House did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment on the draft order.
The New York Times first reported on the document. Rubio, in response to the article, wrote on X: “This is fake news.”
The draft order also calls for the termination of offices and positions within the department focused on climate, women’s issues, democracy, human rights, migration and criminal justice.
In addition to the consolidation of embassies and consulates, the order would make fundamental changes to the hiring practices at the department.
The longstanding Foreign Service Officer Test would be scrapped in favor of an evaluation based in part on whether candidates show “alignment with the president’s foreign policy vision.”
The draft order says that the “full structural reorganization and transition” should be completed by Oct. 1.
It also says that any current foreign services officers or civil service personnel who do not want to take part in the new regional organization structure or “serve the interests of the administration may elect to voluntarily separate from the department through a one-time buyout and transition program” until Sept. 30.
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